Fruit-can opener.



No. 803,034 PATENTED oo'r. 31, 1905.

r. TRICKBY.

FRUIT GAN OPENER.

'nrmoulon FILED un. ao. 1904.

gnnmxtnr ANnaaw n, GRAHAM w. Pnommnocmvnens, wAsmnmon. n, c.

UNITED STATES FFICE.

PATENT FRANCIS TRICKEY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOROBERT H. MURRAY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

FRUIT-CAN OPENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1905.

1'0 atl/ wle/0m, it' may concern:

Beit known that I, FRANCIS TRICKEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne, State of Michigan, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Can Openers; and Ido declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a fruit-can opener; and it consists in theconstruction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully set forth, andpointed out particularly in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means forturning the screw top or cover of glass fruit-jars and similar vesselsto facilitate the sealing of the fruit or contents and to enable thecover to be easily removed when it is desired to remove the contentstherefrom.

The above object is attained by the device illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a plan view thereof,showing hy dotted lines the movement of one of the hinged jaws. Fig. 2is a sectional view as on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transversesection through the hinged clamping-jaws and the top ofa can as on line3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view through the hingedjoint which unites the clamping-jaws as taken on line 4 4 of Fig. l.

Referring to the characters of reference, l and 2 designate the jawmembers, which are curved in the arc of a circle and whose inner edgesare serrated, as shown at 3. Said jaws are united by notching theterminals thereof and letting the members into each other, as shown atFig. 4, and securing said parts by a rivet 4, which passes therethroughand through a washer 5. upon the under face. Said rivet also passesthrough the gage-plate 6, which extends transversely across an arc ofthe circle described by said jaws from one jaw member to the other. Inaddition to the rivet 4 The purpose of the gage-plate is to facilitatethe placing of the clamp upon the can top or cover and to obviate thepossibility of the clampingjaws slipping down too far for practical use.

As all screw-tops for glass cans are made,

practically after the same pattern, this gageplate serves as a stop toarrest the clampingjaws when placed upon the top or cover, so as tobring the serrated edges of the jaws into contact with the top of thecover at the proper point, thereby avoiding jamming it, said plateserving to support the clamping jaws in proper position until they canbe contracted through the medium of the outwardly-curved handles 8 and9, so as to bring the serrated faces thereof into gripping relation withthe periphery of the cover l0, when by gripping said handles the covermay be easily unscrewed by means of the leverage which may be exertedthrough said handles, as will be well understood.

By providing the transverse gage-plate of such diameter as to extendacross the clamping-jaws and dishing said plate to receive the top ofthe cover the opening of saidjaws so far as to allow the clamp to slipdown over the can-top is obviated, so that through the medium of saidplate the jaws are always directed properly into place, while theserrated faces of the jaws prevent a possible slipping upon thecan-cover.

Having thus fully set forth my invention, whatI claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device for the purpose set forth, the combination of the curvedjaw members hinged together at their outer arc to form a circularopening between said jaws and having operative handles, a gage-platerigidly secured to one of the jaw members and crossing an arc of theopening between said jaws.

2. The combination of the curved jaw members hinged together, havingparallel handles and serrated faces, of a gage-plate fixed to one of thejaw members and crossing the opening between said jaws and lying uponthe other jaw member.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

FRANCIS TRICKEY.

